Direct Mail Advertising and Correspondence Tips

Before you send out direct mail advertising or general correspondence, make sure you think through some basics. I have received a number of letters lately that left a less than positive impression on me. Cheap looking, incorrect, and presumptive letters leave a negative impression on potential customers or even current customers. It’s never worth the few pennies you will save anyway.

·       Use good paper – The statement quality stock can make is worth far more than the penny or two you will save per sheet. Cheap paper says you don’t care.

·       Use quality labels – Nothing says “cheap” like a poorly printed label. You know the ones where the ink is smudged or only part of your name made it on the label. Using professional labels and labeling systems can go a long way to improving the way your labels look.

·       Use the whole name or a salutation – If you are sending a mailer to Suzy Cue but don’t have her first name in your list, make sure your system doesn’t send her a letter starting with “Dear Cue.” This feels very impersonal. Instead, use “Dear Ms. Cue” as this feels much more personal.

·       Use the surname in the salutation – Unless you know the customer personally, use the last name of the customer in the greeting. For example, unless you know Suzy Cue personally, use “Dear Ms. Cue” or “Dear Suzy Cue” and NOT “Dear Suzy.”

·       When a response is needed, include a pre-addressed envelope – Yes, this costs more, but the odds of actually getting the item you need back improves exponentially!

·       Use security labels – This mostly only applies to correspondence that includes personal information. For general advertising and general correspondence security labels would be overkill. Use the golden rule here: if it were your information, would you want it falling into other people’s hands?

So, think twice before skimping on direct mail advertising and correspondence. Sure, you might be able to save a little money skipping some of the steps, but the poor impression you leave on your customers will probably far outweigh any cost savings you may have made.

Greening Your Print Marketing Materials

Is there such a thing as green marketing when so much marketing is still in printed form? Yes, actually, green marketing can exist. More and more environmentally friendly inks and papers are being made all the time.

People might think that going all electronic all the time is one answer to greener marketing practices with e-newsletters, marketing emails and other electronic forms of marketing, but the carbon footprint of keeping up this constant access 24/7 isn’t doesn’t make it much better, if at all better, than green printing methods.

Richard Romano went into greater detail about electronic newspapers versus print newspapers in his blog post “How Green is my Media” on Expert Business Source. Romano cites some studies conducted by the Institute for Future Studies and Technology Assessment (IZT) of Berlin, Germany, which found that the electronic newspapers have a bigger environmental impact than print newspapers. The studies found that “the environmental impact of the hardware required (that is, mobile devices) is much less than with conventional PCs or laptops, but the energy consumption that individual data transmission requires for the energy-hungry UMTS network more than compensates for the energy savings from end devices.”

It boils down to using paper versus using energy. The argument that electronic newspapers are more harmful to the environment stems from the fact that fossil fuels that create energy are not renewable, while paper (trees) is renewable.

Although these studies were about newspapers, they can be adapted to any kind of printed medium, including marketing materials.

So how can we print more environmentally friendly marketing materials? By using sustainable paper and good-for-the-environment inks.

Sustainable paper
Eco-friendly papers are recycled, processed without chlorine, are synthetic or are made from renewable fibers other than trees (like bananas and lemons!). Neenah Paper has an Environment line of paper and a Green Paper line as well as an environmental savings calculator so you can see how many resources you save by choosing green paper. You can get synthetic-free papers from companies like Polyart and Yupo. There are also companies that only product sustainable paper, like EcoPaper, which uses recycled paper fibers and fibers from bananas, coffee and cigars.

Sustainable ink
Traditional printing inks contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are thought to produce health problems and are known to produce air pollution. Alternatives include soy ink and waterless printing.

Soy ink uses a soy base instead of a petroleum base like traditional ink. Soy has much lower levels of VOCs so it doesn’t create as much pollution as petroleum-based ink. Paper printed with soy ink is easier to recycle because the ink comes off the paper more easily. Soy ink is brighter than regular ink as well.

Waterless printing is an offset printing process that doesn’t use water to dampen the ink like in traditional printing. Not only is water saved, but VOCs are eliminated in the printing process. The waterless printing process removes the need for solvent-based press solutions and blanket wash solutions, which are typically where all the VOCs come from.

These are just a few choices in sustainable ink and paper options. More and more are being discovered and hopefully soon, all printing can be less harmful to the environment.

Creative Thinking: The Internal and External Arenas

Creative thinking takes place in two arenas: internally and externally.  Internally, or in your own mind, creative thinking is all about exploring, playing, and probing with new ideas.  Externally, when you relate your new ideas to others, creative thinking is about communicating, explaining, and persisting until others get the vision.  But these ideas are somewhat nebulous.  So let me try to take concepts such as “playing” and “explaining” and put them into a more concrete form.

Creative thinking: internally

• Exploring – To really come up with new ideas you have to be willing to look outside the box.  And in the realm of your imagination you can explore anything.  Here the problems are laid out and the more obvious solutions are explored.  But exploring is decidedly an activity that should stay internal.  Few people have the patience for creative thinking that may be jumping from point to another seemingly unconnected point.

• Playing – Beyond exploration, playing has to do with intentionally breaking the perceived rules and intentionally thinking through solutions that may seem impossible.  Using scenarios like,  “If I had unlimited resources, how would I handle this?” Playing pushes limits. And this part of the creative process should still remain internal as people are typically quick to judge.

• Probing – Here the creative thinker begins to challenge the status quo.  Identify biases and assumptions that may be preventing ideas from flowing.  Again, because of the political nature of most organizations, probing should initially take place internally since people can feel threatened by the probing process.

Creative thinking: externally

• Communicating – Once the new ideas have been sorted and sifted, the next step is to communicate those ideas.  Careful thought needs to be put into how and when to communicate your new ideas.  Make sure the people to whom you are communicating understand your frame of reference.  It is easy to throw out an idea and confuse a group who has not been tracking with you internally.

• Explaining – Once you communicated your idea you often have to take the time to fully explain it. You may need to show people which boxes you’ve broken down and which assumptions you may be challenging.

• Persisting – Finally, you’re probably going to have to be patient while the idea takes root.  The external process of creative thinking is iterative: you’re probably going to have to communicate, explain, and persist, and repeat the process several times.

How to Get the Best from a Design Agency

Once you’ve decided to work with a design agency, you might feel excited but a little doomed. You’ve just signed on to let someone else design your precious marketing materials and you have to give up some control.

Maybe you’ve even heard nightmare stories from other companies that have worked with design agencies where everything was late, looked horrible and they overcharged. You don’t have to meet with that same fate! All you have to do is build a good relationship with the agency to have success.

To have a relationship with anyone or any company, it has to be a two-way street. You can’t treat the agency like your puppet that must do your bidding. You’re paying these people for their expertise. Here are some considerations to keep in mind to keep the harmony and get the best from your design agency.

1. Respect each other
Value your agency and treat it like your marketing partner. In return, your agency will respect you if you treat them like team members and not just people you pay. Ask for opinions and share your honest opinions with them.

2. Make sure you’re on the same page with your goals
Meet with the agency to let them know your goals for your marketing materials. Bring a copy of your goals so they don’t forget and don’t have to take notes while you’re chatting. Make sure everyone is agreed in terms of the project’s objective.

3. Set limits (if you have them)
If you need this project to fit within strict brand limits or any other kind of limit, say so. If you have any ideas of what you do or don’t want done, say so upfront. Stress the importance of staying with your brand’s look and feel or let them know if you are willing to go off-kilter with this project.

4. Talk about the background of the project
The agency specialists can be especially helpful if they know what thought process has gone into this project already. If you’ve come up with ideas and rejected them, the agency won’t waste their time or yours coming up with those same ideas. Clarify the budget and timeline during this background talk.

5. Talk about money
Make sure you know what they charge per hour or per project and let them know what your budget is. That will dictate what kind of plan they put in place for you and can affect what design elements they choose. A $250,000 custom printing project wouldn’t be proposed if they know you only have $100,000 to spend.

6. Communicate openly
Call or email each week or every few days to see how things are going. Tell them to contact you any time they have a question. Work with the agency to solve any problems that come up. Support the agency in any way you can.

When you review their work, start with positive feedback to set the tone of the review session. Give negative feedback in person, never by email, so you can gauge the reaction and make clarifications when necessary.

7. Do a postmortem review of each project
Talk about what could have been handled differently to make the project better. Write down what worked for future reference. Congratulate each other and celebrate the big victories – a working relationship doesn’t have to be all work, all the time!

Product Differentiation: Defending Your Prices

Have you ever wondered why some companies are able to offer products at much higher prices than its competitors and still outsell them?  Sure, you say, it’s because with the higher priced product you are paying for a brand.  But how did that brand become able to offer such high prices?  The answer is high product differentiation.

Product differentiation gives a company the ability to defend their prices.  This term refers to the differences that make a product stand out from others like it.  A company that has successfully used product differentiation has promoted both the key features and minor details of the item.  They have created the perception that theirs is the best and will always be the best.  Product differentiation is what gives buyers the ability to shop without needing to think.  Yes, your product may be priced higher than the one next to it on the shelf, but a customer trusts that yours is worth the higher cost.  For instance, consumers who purchase Cheerios know that it is priced a couple dollars higher than its off-brand competitor.  Cheerios buyers, though, know that it lowers their cholesterol, has less sodium, and encourages a healthier lifestyle.

Before being able to offer higher prices than your competitors, you must use product differentiation in your marketing campaign.  Your advertisements may contain tables comparing your product next to leading competitors’ products.  In these tables, emphasize the better features, reliability, and results of your product.  Many times, you may be up against loyal customers of your competitor, which is why it is necessary to make consumers rethink their purchase habits.  You may decide that free samples may also help change consumer perceptions, but this could also backfire if your product is very similar to the lead competitors’ brand.

Companies with a strong brand are not able to offer higher prices just because of the brand.  Yes, the brand may have become a symbol for those products, but the perception began through product differentiation.  Therefore, if you are trying to distinguish your company and its products as an elite brand and want to be able to charge higher prices, begin a product differentiation marketing campaign. Over time, your products just might become the new top brand.

6 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Freelance Copywriter

If you’ve never worked with a freelance copywriter, you might not have a clue as to where to start looking for one. Your marketing materials can make or break your profit margin this year, so it’s vital that you pick a competent copywriter that can get your message across effectively. So how do you choose?

First, Google “freelance copywriter.” You’ll get about 500,000 results on any given day from that phrase. You’ll see Web sites and ads for advertising copywriters, B2B copywriters, catalog copywriters and many other variations on the word “copywriter.” So now what?

Here are a few questions to ask to help you wade through the different types of copywriters to choose the right one for you:

1. Identify what kind of copywriter you need.
List the projects you want the copywriter to complete for you. Brochures? Web site copy? Will you be doing any catalog or booklet printing? (Yes, all those catalog descriptions are generally written by a copywriter.)

2. List your short-term and long-term objectives.
What is it you are hoping your copywriter can help you achieve? Do you want to start a monthly newsletter or just build a start-up Web site? Or do you just need a few tweaks to your Web site? Knowing whether you need work done for a one-time occurrence or as an on-going thing will help you pick the right copywriter.

3. Do you need an expert?
Many copywriters have found a niche for themselves. Some specialize in direct mail copywriting or catalog copywriting. That’s all they do and they do it well. There are other copywriters who can write everything from posters to television commercials to magazine ads. Do you need someone who can do it all for you?

Also consider whether you need a copywriter who is an expert in your field. This type of copywriter might be more difficult to find, depending on your industry. Someone who has worked in the fashion industry for years will be best for writing your fashion-related marketing copy. This goes back to #2. Knowing your objectives will help you decide on a copywriter.

4.  Do you want to work with an agency or with a single freelancer?
Some people are more comfortable working with an established agency and having other resources you can call on if your copywriter isn’t top notch. Others would rather work with just one person. Do you want to build a long-term relationship with someone who will know your business almost as well as you do?

5. What is your copywriting budget?
Can you afford to work with an experienced freelancer or a copywriter at an agency? Fees will vary depending on your region and on the freelancer’s experience. You could end up paying $25 per hour for a copywriter with little-to-no experience, or up to $200 or $300 an hour for a copywriter with 20 years of experience. Many copywriters will set a budget for each project: for instance, a brochure will cost $600 no matter how many hours are spent writing it. A press release could cost between $200 and $500. A set price for the project could be the way to go if you’d like to know your costs upfront.

6. Pick a few candidates and review their work.
Copywriters should have samples of their work to show you. If they don’t, you should probably move on. Even copywriters straight out of college should have at least one sample to show you. You can get a taste of each copywriter’s writing style from the samples and choose the one that best suits you.

How to Harmonize Your Brand Content and Consumer-Generated Content

Between personal and corporate blogs, YouTube and social networking sites like MySpace, consumers have more control over company brands than ever before. The Internet has made it possible for consumers to practically write brand content for the brands.

Forward-thinking companies are getting in touch with customers through blogs, product reviews, consumer forums and email. But social sites like forums not run by companies can have wrong or bad information that reflects badly on the brand or company.

Most companies have their own Web sites, which is great, but the Web sites are growing bigger every day, with more and more content to browse through. With all this brand content by the actual companies floating around and consumer-generated content floating around, consumers are bound to get confused.

It’s not in your best interest to get mad and post your own fiery blog response when someone states something negative or wrong about your company. But there are some ways to harmonize all of the information out on the Internet, starting with the following:

Don’t try to control all the data and conversations
Instead of tracking blogs or product review sites to contradict every person who has a negative feeling or incorrect assumption about your product or company, create a place for all those people to converge. Create a blog or forum on your Web site or where people can leave comments and converse among themselves. If you ignore all the comments on the Internet, they won’t go away. Let customers speak their minds on your site and use your site to correct any rumors or wrong information you find on the Web.

Pay people to blog for you
Many bloggers are pros these days and get paid to blog. Seek out some freelance bloggers or writers and ask them to blog for you on a weekly or daily basis. They can either blog on your site or on their own site and link to your Web site. By having someone on blog  control, you’ll be able to put out fires and start conversations that wouldn’t have been started otherwise. (How many people know you give some profits to charity? That’s the kind of thing you want people to blog about, but they won’t if they don’t know about it!)

Create good content
You can’t just babble on for paragraphs on your Web site talking about nothing. Talk about topics that have some substance and are relevant to your industry and how your customers fit into that industry. Tell customers what you are doing for them. Otherwise, people will stop visiting your blog or Web site.

Stand up for yourself
Blogs  and forums are made for conversations. Search for your products or your company’s name in blogs and forums (a simple Google search will show you where to go) and then comment on what has been written. If something written is false, respectfully correct that person and direct him or her to your Web site if needed. Treat people with respect, but don’t let them walk all over your brand.

Give consumers the content they want
If you read comments about how people wish your Web site were easier to navigate, listen to them and evaluate your navigation. Could you make it easier? If people wished you had a FAQ page on your Web site, give it to them!  If you give consumers the content they want, they won’t go elsewhere to get it or to complain about it.

Can Color = Brand?

When you hear a commercial asking “What can brown do for you?” do you know which company is asking that question? Do immediately know it was UPS? I did.

Okay, so I know a color is associated with UPS. But does that make the color their brand? I think it does.

Some organizations are so consistent with their marketing campaign colors that you can’t help but think of that organization or company. When you see pink, what do you think of? Susan G. Komen for the Cure – breast cancer awareness? That’s what I associate with pink. “Pink for the cure” is even a part of their marketing campaign.

What about when you see a light robin’s egg blue? Don’t you think of Tiffany & Co.’s jewelry store? You’d better – Tiffany’s has even registered its trademark blue as a brand asset.

What does color do for marketers?
Above all, color helps clients and potential customers recognize your company. A bulls’ eye in black or yellow probably won’t call any particular company to mind, but a bulls’ eye in red makes you think of Target stores.

Color can also be used to evoke emotion and build a connection with your customers. Many “green” companies use a lot of green color in their marketing because it helps them establish a connection with their customers who also like to be considered green.

People like to be considered green because they want to stand out and show what they believe in. Which leads to another reason color is so important in marketing: it helps you stand out from your competitors. Whenever I mention something about the “Dummies” books, people always respond “Oh – the yellow and black books?” The Dummies brand has a logo – a Dummies Man – but no one really notices him too much. They notice the color of the books.

Don’t take color choice lightly
Choosing the right color for your brand can be tough, but it’s super-important that you take the time to choose wisely. If your brand is international, think about what colors mean in other parts of the world. For instance, purple represents royalty in the West, but in Thailand purple is associated with mourning. About.com has a good basic guide to color definitions in differing cultures: http://webdesign.about.com/od/colorcharts/l/bl_colorculture.htm.

Make sure your color choice represents your brand accurately. A pink neon for a relaxing day spa just doesn’t equate.

Yes, color can equal a brand
Your choice of color can make or break your brand, so I’d say yes, color = brand. Just make sure your color(s) support your brand characteristics, is always consistent across your marketing materials, is different from your competitors’ colors and is understood in all parts of the world where you do business.

How to Organize Your Business Cards for Maximum Networking Capabilities

For many small businesses, networking is one of the biggest ways to market your company. In addition to having nice business cards printed and handed out to colleagues, you should make sure you have the business cards you’ve received organized so that you can quickly call or email someone when needed. By knowing where your contact’s information is, you’ll be able to quickly call on someone when you need help, have a great partnering idea or just to do some more networking. All of these situations are vital to small business marketing.

There are many different ways to organize your received business cards so that you can access them quickly as needed.

The first question is old school or modern?

You basically have two choices when it comes to organizing business cards:
Old school: keeping your business cards in a card file, like a Rolodex. You can also buy a portfolio-looking book that has business-card–sized slots so that you can have all your business cards in one neat book. The slots are clear, like plastic portfolio sleeves, so you can see the front and back sides of the cards easily. The bad thing about old school systems is that they’re not too pretty and can be a pain to lug around. A good trait is that you don’t have to worry about losing your info in a computer crash.

Modern: keeping the business card info on your computer. You can buy a computer program to keep your contacts organized, like Microsoft Access, or you can just use your email program, like Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes. One nice thing about storing info in your computer is that your office will be neater with no piles of papers and business cards everywhere. You can also find someone easily by searching for their name, company name or business location in a matter of seconds in a computer program. You can also record the date you met the person and where you met him.

The electronic method helps you by being more portable – you can either email your list to yourself for use at home or another location, of if you have a laptop, you can have your list with you at all times. Just remember to back up your system every night!

The next question: What to organize by?

The most popular method is to organize your business cards in alphabetical order. Whether you do that by the contact’s last name or business name is up to you.

You can also organize by the date you met the person, which makes it really easy to keep track of people in the old school system: the people you’ve known longer will be at the front of your Rolodex or book and the people you just met will be at the end. Make sure you stick to one system though; you don’t want to confuse yourself by alphabetizing by business name one day and then contact name the next!

Another question: When to update and organize?

You should update and reorganize your business cards when you get back from a trade show or any place where you gathered a few business cards. If you’re keeping track electronically, it’s best to update your database as soon as you get a business card. If you have an old school method, you could keep business cards in an empty slot in your portfolio or Rolodex until you have four or five, and then reorganize those all at once.

By organizing your contacts, you’ll have a much easier time of thinking of business prospects or partners, and you can easily stay in touch with people without much effort.

Advertising Successfully with Posters

Advertising with posters can be a very successful venture if done correctly. Much of the success comes from careful planning and preparation before the actual creating process takes place.

First, decide on the target market you are trying to reach. Pull some demographics of the area to see if a large percentage of the population matches your target. If not, then you may want to reassess either your target market or the location. 

Next, do some research on local posting laws. Some cities allow posters to be placed on telephone poles or street corners. Many businesses allow posters to be placed in windows or a bulletin board, especially if the poster topic relates to the business.

Now that you know where to post, begin planning for the design. Use clear branding on your posters. Passers-by should be able to recognize your company when glancing at the poster. For new companies, or when a company alters its brand, posters are a great way to publicize an image.

Choose a style for your poster design. The style should be based on the audience, or target market. For instance, if your company advertises a new line of clothing to middle class teenage girls, the poster headline, font, colors, and image would need to send a message that this clothing line promotes youth and popularity.

Once you have displayed the posters, keep track of the response. When prospects call the number, ask how they heard of your company. If results are unsatisfactory, do some more research. Try changing the design or location.

If possible, check your posters regularly. If your poster has been removed, any testing will give you false feedback. Also, a good marketing campaign will display a timely new version of the advertisement. Replace posters with updated information regularly. For instance, if the poster is advertising the release of a new product, alter the announcement. Change “Coming Soon”  to “Coming in July” to “Coming in 2 Weeks,” as an example.

When preparing for poster advertising, avoid skipping quickly through the planning stage. The more solid your plan, the better results your company will see in your poster campaign.

Use Direct Mail Postcards to Help Your Web Site Traffic

Postcards are a great way to promote your Web site. Postcards are easy to read and can be hard to ignore since there is no envelope masking their message. Here are some ways you can advertise your Web site through postcard marketing:

Offer a free report on your Web site
Whether you do your own research and write a report of interest to your target market or if you buy a report, make it only accessible through your Web site. Then get the word out by mailing postcards. To make your postcards more enticing, you could use stats or a small graphic from the report on the postcard. Make sure you have some kind of system in place on your Web site that makes the visitor submit their name and email address to download the report so you can build up your mailing list or customer base.

Seminar sign-up
Seminars are great tools for many industries, like real estate, investing, technology, etc. If you host or sponsor a seminar, you can create a registration form or sign-up “sheet” on your Web site and send out postcards to let people know where they can register. Announce the seminar, along with the vital info such as place, time, cost, etc. on your postcard. Be sure to also include a benefit-laden headline. What will people learn or receive at the seminar that they can’t get elsewhere? You might even want to add some kind of incentive for people to sign up through your Web site, like a free product (that has your logo and name on it!).

Offer a free digital trial
If you sell anything digital like e-books or software, you could offer a free trial period or a sample download through your Web site. You could mail out a postcard to let people know where they can get their free trial and give them some kind of access code or coupon code. Make sure to put a time limit on your offer to prompt people to try your product sooner rather than later, because people are more likely to forget later.

E-newsletter subscription
Create an e-newsletter that you send out at consistent intervals, like once a month or once a week. Whatever schedule you come up with, stick to it! Your e-newsletter should contain helpful and interesting info that your customers possibly wouldn’t get elsewhere. Include info about your company’s doings, but also about what’s going on in the industry that customers might not be aware of. Mail out postcards announcing your e-newsletter and create a landing page on your Web site with a short URL so it’s easy for people to type. “Yours.com/newsletter” is much easier to type and remember than “yours.com/newsletter/url12685/3652-signup-i-am-making-this-up/.”

Improving Printed Postcard Results

According to the large volume of marketing advice available, printed postcards should be one of the most successful advertisements available for most businesses.  Are your results less than satisfactory even though you have followed design, printing, and mailing tips? If so, you may need to rethink the layout of your postcard. What works for one company may not work for yours. Successful marketing requires careful testing, so don’t despair if it takes time before you see the results everyone is bragging about. Below are some areas that might need to be reworked on your postcard to improve results.

Focus on the Back Side
Many mail carriers deliver the mail address-side-up. If the back of a postcard only contains the address information, clients may trashing your direct mail piece before the headline has a chance to catch their attention. Test placing your headline and offer on the back of the postcard and save the front for extra information.

Limit Information
Obviously, a postcard contains very limited real estate space. Avoid packing every little detail onto the postcard as this can result in a littered layout and, therefore, hidden message. Cut down the amount of words to include only the most important information. You merely need to cause clients to take the next step, not know every step of the offer.

Make a Unique Offer
If yours is the same as every other business offer, prospects will see no reason use your company above another. Without a tempting offer, an advertising campaign is useless.  The offer is what compels readers to take action. So give clients what they want – the newest, biggest, and best product or service at an irresistible price.

Although printed postcards are one of the cheapest marketing tools, without high results they are not worth any cost, no matter how small. Therefore, test and test again until your direct mail postcards have become the optimum marketing tool that you have read so much about.